GOOD SPORTS: Fighting Dragons win five events

Photo courtesy of Mason Caldwell The Fighting Dragons competition team from Byrd's Korean Martial Arts Academy located on Wilmington Island brought home trophies in a meet held in Hampton. Team members are:, front row, from left, Sully McCarthy, Kristen Beaty and Finn McCarthy; back row, from left, Thomas McCarthy and Michael Caldwell.

Five members of Byrd’s Korean Martial Arts School returned to Savannah with five first-place medals and four third-place finishes in a competition meet held in Hampton.

The Fighting Dragons from Byrd’s competed in three categories: forms, board breaking and sparring.

Byrd’s has been training competitors for 18 years. Many have competed at both the national and international levels, and one made the elite Junior Nationals Team.

Master Mike Byrd, owner and head coach for the team, has been teaching and training youngsters the sport of taekwondo for more than 38 years. In addition to teaching traditional Korean martial arts, Byrd and his staff also are teaching the Zig Ziglar I Can Program for area kids that strives to help them learn the foundations for success, not only in martial arts, but in school and in life.

The five members who went to Hampton were Kristen Beaty, Michael Caldwell, Finn McCarthy, Sully McCarthy and Thomas McCarthy.

SPAL Week 5 results and highlights

AAA DIVISION

BLESSED SACRAMENT 34, ST. JAMES 8

The Irish won the battle of unbeaten teams, as Philip Moore scored three more touchdowns, giving the eighth-grader a league-leading 15 and helping power BSS to the win at McBride Field.

The game was close for a while. After a Chargers’ three-and-out to begin the first quarter, BSS took over, and on the second play from scrimmage Moore caught a screen pass from quarterback Michael DeMell and rambled 55 yards for the first of his three scores. He finished with 105 yards rushing and 60 yards receiving.

On the next possession, the Chargers mounted a 50-yard drive, moving the ball to the Irish 20 only to fumble it away. The Irish took over and drove 48 yards and scored again, thanks to Moore’s 3-yard sneak. Timmy Morin, who finished with 103 yards receiving, set up the touchdown by hauling in a 35-yard pass from DeMell. Michael Maguire caught the conversion pass from DeMell to make it 14-0.

St. James’ next drive stalled and on the punt, the Irish’s Nick Iannone blocked the ball, which set up BSS at the Chargers’ 35-yard line.

But three plays later BSS fumbled, and St. James recovered and drove 65 yards and scored. Grayson South capped the drive by running 6 yards for the touchdown to make it 14-8. South set up the score with a 35-yard run. South ended the game with more than 100 yards rushing, led the defense in tackles, forced a fumble and recovered a fumble. The Irish started the second half with an early score. After receiving the opening kickoff at their own 40, DeMell found receiver Morin with a 45-yard strike putting the ball at the St. James 15. Moore, who also keyed the defense, then finished off the 60-yard drive by running the final 15 yards for a 20-8 lead. DeMell ended the game with 160 yards passing and two scores.

Chargers quarterback Ben Winders, also a key contributor on defense, went down with an ankle injury. He still managed to pass for 30 yards and rush for 50 and help spark the defense with six tackles.

The Irish scored again when Morin caught a pass for 25 yards and Maguire another for 15 yards and the score.

Sam Weis, who also added a touchdown and ended with 55 yards rushing, converted the extra point make it to 28-8.

After a late fourth quarter interception, BSS finished off the scoring with a 40-yard drive capped by a Weis 2-yard run.

The Eagles, a first-year team new to the league, notched their first win of the season, as Logan Toomer scored twice, and Cole Webster, Jon Burke and Craig Oliver all scored once. Lukas O’Grady kicked four extra points, and Reece Woods led the defense.

Jonah Hansen scored the lone Braves touchdown.

AAA DIVISION

ST. PETER THE APOSTLE 28, SAVANNAH CHRISTIAN (7TH) 6

Drew Tison scored twice on runs of 6 and 10 yards in leading SPA to its fifth win of the season at Raider field.

Matthew Lowenthal, who had two conversions, also had a touchdown on a 22-yard run.

Leading the offense for the Rams, who improved to 5-1, was quarterback Adam King along with Aiden Anderson, Hunter Harrison, and members of the offensive line which included Garrett Ducey, Lawson Remler, Nick Schaff, Ryan Ducey, Ian Heap, Cameron Parrish, Mills Thompson and Harrison.

Tony Iannone and Grayson White each scored twice in leading BSS over rival SPA at Daffin Park.

After an early Rams touchdown by J.D. Morgan, SPA controlled the clock through the first and second quarters. The Irish struck back before halftime. Quarterback Colin Hogan hit receiver White with a 50-yard bomb as time expired. Iannone ran in the conversion to tie things up at 8-8.

The Irish then began the second half much like they ended the first half, with a score. On just the second play from scrimmage, Iannone took a handoff from Hogan and raced 60 yards for the go-ahead TD. SPA, however, responded with a drive of more than 50 yards and that was capped off by a Bobby Norman sprint for a touchdown. After Morgan ran the conversion, SPA led 16-14.

On the ensuing kickoff, Iannone returned the ball 67 yards for a score. Aidan Coleman threw a crucial block on the play. BSS finished the scoring late in the game as White picked off a Norman pass and returned it 15 yards for the final margain of victory.

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